Hinge structure



P 1952 J. o. HOWARD 2,608,714

' HINGE STRUCTURE Filed July 29, 1946 JJ J5 M i x 449 +616 III I 'n I I J71 J8, J4

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Patented Sept. 2, 1952 App'Iication'JuIy-ZE),1946,1Scrial-No;687,008

v,This invention relates to a hinge structure of. general applicationbut especially suited to useincertain types of lighting fixture, for example, fluorescent lamp units, particularly, but not exclusively, those adapted for ceiling mounting.

One of the principal objects of the invention is theprovision of a hinge structure which is sim-.

ple'and inexpensive to manufacture, and which lends itself peculiarly to'the noveldual hinge means to be described hereinafter.

Additional objects are: the provision of hinge means in a lighting fixture, for example, so constructedand arranged that one member of the fixture maybe swung relative to another member in either of two. opposite directions, or said membermay be removed a'ltogethenas the circumstances require, whereby to facilitate there moval, servicing, .or inspection 'of lamp parts, such as the fluorescent tubesin the type of lamp disclosed herein for illustrative purposes; to provide a-fluorescent lamp or tube mount of elon-- gated form and constructed so as to mount two or more fluorescent lamps or tubes and also to form a shield or cover for certain cooperating lamp .parts, together with a simple and inexpensive hinge means hingedly and removably attaching said lamp mount to a lamp base so that said mount may be pivotally swung relativeto the basepermitting access to lamp parts; to the provision of hinge means includingpairs of perforate lugs. having offset mounting feet received in slots and spot-welded or otherwise fixed in position in said slots with the perforations aligned and the lugs spaced to receive a third cooperating-lug of identical construction to those of the said pair and similarly mounted on a member to be hingedly connected with the member carrying said pair, there being a hinge pin inserted in the aligned perforations of the several lugs, said third lug being received in between said pair.

Other objects and aspects 'of novelty of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing, in'which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fluorescent lamp fixture utilizing'the novel hinge structure; Fig.2 is a cross section, to enlarged scale, along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective fragment of one part of v the hinge structure;

3 Cl air ns, (01.16-51 59) Fig. 4 is a perspective fragment of a companion element of the hinge structure cooperablewith the part shown in'Fig. 3; a

Fig. 5 is a perspectivefragment of the-meunt ing slot for the :hinge means of Fig. '3; flu

Fig.16 is a perspecti've' fragment-of the mounting'slot for-the hinge element of Fig.4; 1 Fig. '7 is'a perspective detail of the novelhinge lug;

Referring now to the drawing, the fluorescent fixture of Fig. 1 is shown in normal operatingposition, and may be assumed to be mounted'or suspended from an overhead surface, such as a cei1in'g a This fixture consists of a top piece H to which'e'nd members l2 are attached in a known manner; together with a combination'refiector and'dihedral shield member I3 of approximately V-shaped cross section (Fig. 2), to the opposite side faces ISA, B3, of which are'secured fluorescent-tube sockets'or adapters 14 (Figs.- 1 and 2) there being a pair of said sockets or adapters on each face of said reflector member 13 and each pair'mounting a fluorescent lamp tube l5 known manner.

In accordance with the invention, the-reflector shield means or member I3 is hingedly, andrea movably, attached to both sides of the top piece or base ll of the fixture for dual hinge action by utilization of the novel hinge means generally indicated at It in Figs. 1 and 2, andshown to larger scale in Figs. 3 and 4 to consist of-a pair: of apertured lugs l8 having pin or pintle holesi I9 and offset mounting feet or projectionsn further described hereinafter; and a companion; lug (Fig. 4) I8A receivable in the space betweem lugsl8 when the latter are mounted in'the manher to be set forth, said companion lug laA-beingj of identical construction to lugs I8, and having a. similar mounting offset or foot portion 20A.

The mounting of said lugs on the lamp structureis effected by forming the base member H as a channel shaped member with depending edge portions I IA (Figs. 2 and 3), in which are formed openings or slots IIB, as in Fig. 5, wide enough' to receive the two mounting feet 20 for each pair of lugs l8, the fixture member I I being prefer-' ably constructed of metal so that said portions 20 may be secured, as by spot welding or the like, to the inner surface of the depending edge portion I IA adjacent said slots.

Similarly, the companion hinge element of Fig. 4 has its foot portion 20A passed through a slot I3D formed in an inwardly ofiset edge portion or projection I30 along each of the upper or free longitudinal edges of the reflector faces ISA and I313, the member I3 likewise being of metal so that said legs 20A may also be spot welded thereto.

It will be understood that each hinge unit consists of a pair of spaced-apart lugs [8, attached to a first and relatively stationary member and a companion lug I8A received in between lugs l8 and attached to a second and relatively movable member, or vice versa, there being aligned pintle openings in all three lugs of each such unit to receive a hinge pin or pintle such as the cotter pins ll of Figs. 2 and 3; and it being further understood that there may be any desired number of sets of said hinge units on either side of the lamp fixture, two such sets being illustrated in Fig. l on the side of the fixture there shown.

In some types of installation, it may be desirable to have an elongated, common pintle rod 11K, Fig. 1, which passes through the pintle openings of all of the hinge units on a given side of the lamp fixture, so that the removal of this one common pintle pin or rod, quickly conditions the reflector-shield for swingingmotion. In the sectional. view of Fig. 2, the illustration shows an elongated pintle [TX on one side of the fixture, with individual pins I! on the opposite side; removal in this case of pintle l'lX would permit swinging the member I3 to the dotted-line position for access to the normally shielded lamp part a, for example. Removal of the pintle pins on fiht. Opposite side'of the lamp would, of course, permit swinging of the reflector l3 to a position opposite-that shownin Fig. 2.

Frequently in the installation of this type of lighting fixture, obstructions of various kinds prevent movement of the reflector in one direction but-not in the other, so that the novel dual hinging of the lamp members makes it unnecessary to reverse the mounting of the base portion, or to remove the reflector element altogether, as is necessary in older types of fixtures; moreover, the hinge means itself is of such simple and economically. fabricated nature as to render it especially suited to volume production methods", since both the fixture elements II, He, l3, [3G, with mount.-

ing slots HB and [3D, and the hinge members [8, Fig. 7, lend themselves readily to simple diestamping and upsetting operations.

In the preferred construction, spotwelding of the; hinge members to the fixture member, as hereinabove described, is desirable; however, other methods of attachmentare contemplated, such as rivetingbolting, crimping, and the like;

and theseand other modifications in the describedv fact that said shoulder portion rests; against the reflector, or other elementon which, it is, mounted,

in the region immediately adjoining theslotportions |3D therein.

Modifications-as suggested. herein, as Well as those that may occur to others, are intended 4 to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hinge member for pintle-pin connection and for mounting particularly on a metal wall member, said hinge member comprising a lug apertured to receive a pintle pin, and said lug having a narrowed leg extending medially from one side thereof to form opposite seating shoulders at the juncture of the leg with said lug, said leg being offset at approximately right angles to its lug at a position spaced from the said one side of the lug a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the wall member on which the hinge member is to be mounted, said leg being adapted to be passedthrough an opening in the said wall member to seat against a rear face thereof and being adapted to be secured to the said wall member with the corresponding lug shoulders adapted to span said opening to seat against the opposite face of said wall member to stabilize the hinge member thereon.

2. A hinge structure comprising, in combination with a pair of members to be joined, the following improvements, to wit: At least one pair of hinge elements, each element consisting of an apertured lug, each lug having a narrowed leg ofiset at approximately right angles to the lug and said legs respectively forming opposite shoulders at their respective junctures with the corresponding lugs, said pair of lugs being mounted in spaced juxtaposition on a first one of said members with said legs respectively. passed through a single opening in said first member and oppositely directed and engaging a rear wall portion of said first member, with the corresponding shoulders respectively seating against the outer wall portion of said first member adjoining said openingtherein to stabilize the lugs, said legs being respectively securedto said rear wall portion, and an identical cooperating hinge ole-- ment identically mounted on the second of said members and fitted between said pair of lugs on the, first member and joined thereto by pintle ,means through the apertures in all three lugs.

each said leg being spaced from the corresponding shoulder an amount equal to the thickness of the member on which the hinge element ismounted' as aforesaid, whereby said shoulders are firmly seated against said outer wall portion when the corresponding legs are engaged with the rear wall portion as aforesaid.

3. A hinge structure comprising, in combination with a pair of members to be joined, the following improvementsto wit: At least one pair of hinge elements, each element. consisting of.

an apertured lug, each lug having a narrowed leg, offset at approximately rightv angles to. the lugand said-legs respectively forming. opposite shoulders. at their respective junctures with the corresponding lugs, said pair of lugs being mounted in spaced juxtaposition on a first one of said members with said legs respectively passed through a single. opening in said first member and oppositely directed. and. engaging a rear wall portion of said first member, with the corresponding shoulders respectively seating against the outer wall portion of said first member. adjoining. said opening therein to stabilize the lugs, said legs being respectively secured to said' rear wall" portion, and an identical cooperating hinge element identically mounted on the second of said members and fitted between said pair oflugson the first member and joined thereto by Dintle means through the apertures in all three lugs, said opening in the first member'being'of a length closely approximating the combined thickness of said pair or hinge elements and said cooperating element, and said opening also being of a width closely approximating the width of said legs, whereby to provide a firm interfit of said pair of hinge elements with marginal portions of said opening in the mounting thereof as aforesaid to stabilize the hinge structure.

JOSEPH O. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,395,593 Oknianski Nov. 1, 1921 1,410,840 Shults Mar. 28, 1922 Number Number Name Date Soss Apr. 2'7, 1926 Phiel Mar. 9, 1937 Polden et a1 June 21, 1933 Raymond Jan. 3, 1939 Ashley et al May 19, 1942 Poehling Aug. 24, 1943 Dunbar Dec. 14, 1943 Stone Sept. 18, 1945 Schonitzer Feb. 5, 1946 McCarl June 29, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy Apr. 2, 1931 Germany June 9, 1921 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1944 

